Food cover



' Jan. 5, 1943@ G. E. CONNERS 2,307,569

FOOD govER Filed Nov. 2'7, 1939 INVENT OR.

650266 f. (am flea ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 5, 1943 r orFicE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to food covers, and more particularly to means for protecting food positioned at an exposed point, as on a shelf, display counter or the like, from dirt, insects and other contamination.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction and operation, and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a device of this character comprising a frame member and a sheet of protective material, wherein the sheet may be easily applied to and removed from the frame.

A further object is to provide a device of this character comprising a frame having a skeleton supporting structure, a sheet of protective-material adapted to be applied thereo-ver, and means for clamping the material on said frame.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having novel means afiording a hand Ilp. g Other objects will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view of the device in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the device taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view of the device.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating a modified construction of the device.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of another modified construction of the device.

Referrin to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral I9 designates a ring which forms a base for the device. This ring may be formed of any suitable material and is here illustrated as formed from a metal band, although the same may be formed from wire or any other suitable material, such as plastics. In equi-spaced relation around the circumference of the ring IE1, a plurality of wire members II are secured at I2 as by welding or soldering to the inner face of ring Iii. The wires II are interconnected above the ring it and cooperate to form a frame work of substantially dome shape, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. Each of the wires ll may be provided with a bend I3 adjacent the lower end thereof and spaced above the ring It, as illustrated in Fig. l for purposes to be hereinafter set forth. Ring sheet I8 of transparent material, the

- Cellophane l9 and wires II cooperate to form the frame of the device.

A second ring It of-substantially the same size and shape as ring I0 is provided with a wire I5 welded or otherwise suitably secured at I6 at the outer faces of diametrically opposed points thereof. Wire I5 is bent into a shape complementary to the shape of the wires H. At its center, the wire I5 is preferably provided with an upwardly bent off-set portion I7 which may constitute a hand grip. The ring I4 and wire I5 constitute a retainer unit of the device.

A sheet I 8 of flexible materialof any desired character, such as cloth, paper, waxed paper, r the like, of a size substantially larger than that of ring it, serves as the protective element of the device. This sheet Ifiis applied over the wires II, and the retainer unit I 4, I5 is then applied over the frame unit II], II, with the ring M fitting snugly around the lower ends of the wires I I. Ring I4 substantially abuts against the upper edge of ring I0 in such a manner as to be rigidly secured to place, with the margins I9 of sheet I8 clamped between the rings In and I 4. To assist in holding the ring I4 in operative relation to ring l0 and wire II, the

bend I3, as illustrated in Fig. 4, is desirable. This bend should preferably be very slight so as not to puncture the protective sheet I B, but should be so positioned and proportioned to constitute a spring lock for the ring I4.

It will, of course, be understood that the device may be shaped as desired, both with reference to the shape of the upper frame work supporting the sheet I B, and with respect to the shape of the member III. For example, the frame work H may be of substantially frusto-conical shape, or the member II) might be of oval shape and the like.

It will readily be seen that when the device is placed over a container of food, as a dish or a pan, the protective sheet I8 is held in spaced relation to the food by the wire frame I I, and that the unit is substantially imperforate, whereby dirt and insects and other contaminating elements are kept away from the food. By using a food protected thereby, whether in a store, a restaurant, or a home, is visible when beneath the cover, so that its character may be seen without necessity of removing the cover, and so that its full sales appeal in a store or restaurant is retained.

It will be evident that, should the sheet I8 become broken or torn, or should it be necessary at any time to replace the same, the operation can be accomplished by simply withdrawing the ring 14 from the lower frame to fully release the sheet It.

The Fig. 5 embodiment difiers only slightly from the one heretofore described, and comprises the base ring 20, and wires 2l which are soldered to the ring at 22. The wires 2! are bent to any desired shape, as a dome shape, and are secured at their upper ends to a plate or other fitting 23 which is preferably provided with a threaded opening at its center. The sheet of protective material 24 is applied over the wire frame 2|, and is held in place thereon by a ring 25. A handle 26 having a threaded stem 2'1 is adapted to pierce the sheet 24, and thence be threaded in the plate 23 to clamp the edges of the pierced opening in sheet 26 to the plate 23. Substantially the same advantages may be achieved with this form as have been heretofore set forth.

The Fig. 6 embodiment comprises a ring 38 of a width of from one to two inches which has a plurality of wires 3| soldered or otherwise suitably secured at 32 to the upper part of the inner face of ring 30. In this instance, the wires 23! extend substantially fiat across the ring at the upper edge thereof. An imperforate sheet 33 is applied over the ring to be supported by the wires 31, and is held to place by a ring 34 of a diameter slightly larger than that of ring 33 and adapted to clamp the margin of sheet 33 between itself and the inner ring 39 when the ring 34 is fitted around the outer face of the ring 38. This construction is adapted for covering fiat dishes, such as pie pans, and again utilizes the wires 3| for the purpose of holding the cover sheet 33 in desired position above the food.

I claim:

1. A food cover comprising a ring, a plurality of stays spanning said ring and having their ends secured to the inner face of said ring, said stays extending above said ring, a flexible sheet covering said stays, and a rigid retainer encircling the margin of said sheet seating against the upper edge of said ring to clamp said sheet against the upper edge of said ring.

2. A food cover as defined in claim 1, nd a bail carried by said retainer overlying said sheet and having an off-set providing a handle.

3. A food cover comprising an endless member, a plurality of resilient stays carried by said member and each arranged in substantially domed relation to said member, at least two opposed stays each having an outwardly offset portion adjacent said endless member, a flexible sheet, and a second endless member substantially the same size as said first member extending around said stays and having a spring pressed friction t with said ofiset portions, said second member encircling said sheet and clamping the margin of said sheet against said first member.

4. A food cover as defined in claim 3, wherein said offsets are spaced from said first member a distance substantially equal to the height of said second member to effect a spring pressed locking engagement with the upper edge portion of said second member.

5. A food cover comprising a base unit including a ring and a plurality of stays spanning said ring and having their ends secured to the inner face of said ring, a flexible sheet covering said stays, and a retainer unit including a rigid ring and a bail, said retainer ring encircling said base unit to clamp the margin of said sheet between said rings, said bail spanning said base unit and sheet and having an ofiset providing a handle.

GEORGE E. CONNERS. 

